'Active glove box' debuting on 2015 Ford Mustang

DEARBORN, MI - The 2015 Mustang will be the first vehicle to feature a new safety device that Ford Motor Co. is calling an "active glove box."

The technology is essentially a passenger knee airbag that fits in the panel door of the pony car's glove box. It provides inflatable resistant protection, while reducing airbag weight and allowing designers to increase passenger cabin space.

"We've packaged it inside that space that's normally not used," said Sean West, Ford restraints manager during a media briefing Thursday in Dearborn.

The active glove box, according to West, is about 65 percent – roughly 2.7 pounds – lighter than a traditional knee air bag.

The majority of weight reduction with the new airbag, which includes at least 15 new patents, comes from a small gas generator known as an inflator that instead of filling a traditional nylon-type airbag actually fills a pliable, injection-molded plastic bladder sandwiched between the inner and outer glove box door panels.

In the event of a crash, the inflator fills the bladder, extending the entire glove box outer door panel toward the front passenger's legs. Once deployed, the outer door helps to provide cushioning in a manner similar to a traditional knee airbag (see embedded video below).

Ford YouTube: Industry-First Active Glovebox Knee Airbag

Since the glove box panel extends straight out from the instrument panel, it doesn't have to travel as far as a conventional airbag. The glove box door also distributes the impact load over a larger area than a traditional airbag, allowing for the smaller inflator because it is able to operate at a lower inflation pressure.

"We're always trying to do better," said West, adding engineers are working on implementing the new active glove box for other vehicles.

The airbag's design also gave designers more flexibility to move the dashboard closer to the windshield, enhancing the feeling of roominess in the cabin.

The new airbag will debut as part of a standard safety system that doubles the amount of airbags and sensors for the 2015 Mustang compared to its predecessor.

The sixth-generation pony car will start at $24,425 when it arrives in U.S. dealerships this fall. The global vehicle features a sleeker design with a lower, wider stance and bolder dual grille. It's definitely a Mustang, but features new design cues and technologies -- from LED taillights to integral-link independent rear suspension.

The highly-anticipated vehicle comes standard with a 3.7-liter V6, producing more than 300 horsepower and 270 lb.-ft. of torque. Optional powertrains include an all-new 2.3-liter EcoBoost, producing more than 305 horsepower and 300 lb.-ft. of torque and with projected class-leading fuel efficiency, and the iconic 5.0-liter V8, generating more than 420 horsepower and 390 lb.-ft. of torque.

Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan is expected to start producing the vehicle by mid-2014. Ford is doing a staggered global release, with the vehicle arriving in global markets, including Europe and Asia, through 2015.

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